Hydrocarbon engine



H. R. RICARDO. y `HYDRocARB0N ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2B, 1920.A

jl 9425?@54, )Patented Aug. 89 N22,

entran saaie -JEEARZ RALDH RGARJD, @JF LNDN, ENG-LAND.

HYIDEUCARBUN ENGENE.

nceaose.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led September 28, 1920. Serial None-13,25*?.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, HARRY RALPH Ricenno, subject of the King of England, residing at London, in England, have invented certain new and useful- Improvements -in Hydrocarbon `Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in hydrocarbon engines and particull@ larly to means for cooling and lubricating the pistons and cylinder walls. @ther advantages ont the invention will appear from vthe following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawlng.

The drawing shows in cross section, more `or less diagrammatically, the application of the present invention to a piston of the type illustrated in applicants Patent No. 1,346,- s45, anni July e0, 1920. a

Referring to the drawing indicates the cylinder of a hydrocarbon engine, 11 the combustion chamber, 12 the inlet and exhaust valves and 13 the crank case.

The piston 1d is of the cross head type 28 having a rearwardly extending trunk or tubular stein 15 in which a gudgeon pin 16 is mounted. The gudgeon pin may be mounted in the tubular stem and the connecting rod 17 connected to the gudgeon 8@ pin as shown in the patent mentioned.

Between the cylinder and the crank Ycase there is a transverse passage 18 the walls of which are preferably cast integral with the crank case as shown. The passage 18 is separated from the crank case by a wall 19 and has an upper wall 20 on which the cylinder is mounted.

The cross head guide cylinder 21 is supported by a flange 22 which, as shown, is

@o clamped between the cylinder 10 and the wall 20, the lower end of the cross head guide cylinder communicating with the crank case through its open end 23 which is fitted tightly in the upper wall 19 of the crank case. rllhe transverse passage 18 is in communication with the interior ofthe cylinder below the piston through a series ot passages 24 between the-guide cylinder wall and the flange 22. The tubular piston stem so 15 is surrounded by a sleeve 25 which is spaced from the tubular stem and rigidly connected therewith and which fits cflbsely' in the cross head guide cylinder. The sleeve 25 extends above and below the gudgeon pin and takes practically all of the lateral thrust and wear due to the reciprocation ot the piston. rllhe sleeve may be connected to the piston stem in any desired manner and, as shown, is connected in the mannerl described in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,346,845. @penings 26 in the piston stem and openings 27 in thesleeve 25 permit of the passage of air and oil tor lubricating-.the cross head and also for lubricating the piston and cylinder, as will be presently described.

rlhe operation of the described mechanism yis as follows: The air. for cooling purposes is circulated through the transverse passage -18 aroundthe guide cylinder 21, as indicated by the arrows. The guide cylinder is preferably provided with ribs 21a which tacilitate radiation of heat which is carried oil. by the air. rllhe air may be circulated by any suitable means as by connecting the outlet of the channelV 18 with the air intake of the carburetor. As the piston 14 moves outward or, as shown, in an upward direction, air is drawn from the passage 18 through the somewhat restricted openings Patented Aug 8, 11922., A

24, into the cylinder below the piston. The

air is forced out again as the piston descends and passes on to the carburetor or escapes, and this circulation of air assists in cooling both the piston and cylinder.

llt is well known that the oil in the crank case of a rapidly moving hydrocarbon engine is broken up and distributed so that it is largely in the form of a cloud or fog which ills the crank case and lubricates all parts to which the cloud lor fog ofoil has access. ln the present case oil in the form of vapor will exist in the cross head guide lcylinder 21- and in the tubular piston stem 15 and owing to the suction created by the upward movement of the piston this vapor will be drawn through the openings 26 and 27 as soon as the openings 27 pass above the upper end of the cross head guide cylinder 21. ln the drawing the uppermost position of the piston and its attached parts is shown in dottedV lines and as the piston' approaches this position the oil vapor will be drawn through the openings 26 and 27 and projected on the cylinder wall, as indicated by the broken arrows 30. Suiiicient vapor will thus be projected into the cylinder to keep the cylinder and piston properly lubricated.

The amount of oil supplied to the piston and cylinder will depend more or le upon the speed of the engine, more beingsup-v lill@ plied at high speeds, but the lmanner 'in which the oil is supplied practically prevents over lubrication. llt is well known that a portion of the piston-lubricating oil becomes carbonized and some of the carbonized oil is scraped from the cylinderby the piston rings and, in ordinary engines, is returned to the crank case, thus injuriously affecting the lubricating qualities of the main oil supply. ln the present case the oil which is supplied to the cylinder walls does not return directly to the crank case but runs into the transverse channel 18 from which it may be drained and filtered before returning to the crank case thus provlonging the useful life of the oil in the crank case and preventing wear upon the moving parts by eliminating more or less gritty carbon whichis formed in the cylinders.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that by means of the present invention the cylinder and piston of the engine is more veffectuall cooled and lubricated than in hydrocar n engines as heretofore constructed and also that the oil in the oiling-system is maintained in a purer condition. An advantage may also be obtained by directing the warm cooling air to the carburetor to assist in vaporizing the fuel.

What lf claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is:-

1. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with the crank case, 'the cylinder and apiston having an elongated stem and a cross-head, of a tubular crosshead guide having one end in'communication with the crank case and the other end in communication with the cylinder and means for circulating air around substantially the entire outer surface of said crosshead guide for cooling purposes.

2. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with the crank case, the cylinder and a piston having an elongated stem and a crosshead, of a tubular crosshead guide having one end in communication with the crank case and the other end in communication with the cylinder, and means for circulating air about substantially the entire outer surface of said guides and into and out of the cylinder, for thepurpose set forth.

3. ln a hydrocarbon engine the comb-ination with the crank case, the cylinder and a piston having an elongated stem and a crosshead, of a tubular crosshead guidehaving one end in communication with the crank case and the other end in communication with the cylinder, a transverse air passage above the crank case and in which said crosshead guide is located, said air passage extending substantially around the en- Macnee tire outer surfacecf the guide, and means :for circulating air through said passage.

4. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with the crank case, the cylinder and a piston having an elongated stem' and a crosshead, of a tubular crosshead guide havving one. end in communication with the crank case and the other end in'communication'with the cylinder, a transverse air passage above the crank case and in which said crosshead guide is located, and means for circulating air through said passage, said passage Ibeing in communication with the cylinder whereby air` is drawn into the cylinder at each outward stroke of the piston, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a hydrocarbonengine the combination with the crank case, the cylinder, and a plston having an elongated stem and a crosshead of'a tubular crosshead guide of less diameter than the cylinder and com municating with the c linder and crank case, the said crosshead aving radial openings through Which oil vapor is drawn and projected onl the cylinder during the upward stroke of the piston.

6. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with the crank case, the cylinder, and a jected on the cylinder during the upward stroke of the piston and means for preventing excess oil in the cylinder fromdraining into the crank case, for the purpose set forth.

7 In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with the crank -case, the cylinder, and a piston having an elongated sternv and a crosshead of a transverse air passage above the crank case, said air passage havmg an upper wall supporting the cylinder and a tubular crosshead. guide having a iange intermediate said upper wall and cylinder whereby said crosshead guide is supported.

8. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination -with a crank case, a cylinder, and a transverse air passage having upper and lower walls, said lower wall forming a partition between the air passage and the crank lower, walls, said lower wall forming a par-v tition between the air passage and the crank case and said upper wall supporting the cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having an elongated stem and a crosshead and a tubular crosshead guide arranged transversely of the air passage and having one end opening into the crank case and its other end opening into the cylinder, said crosshead guide being smaller than the cylinder and permitting air to circulate between the guide and cylinder, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a hydrocarbon engine the combination with a crank case, a cylinder, and a transverse air passage having upper and lower walls, said lower wall forming a partition between the air passage and the crank case and said upper wall supporting the cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having an elongated stem and a crosshead and a tubular crosshead guide arranged transversely of the air passage and having one end opening into the crank case and its other end opening into the cylinder, said crosshead guide beingsmaller than the cylinder and permitting air to circulate between the guide and cylinder, and the stem of the piston being hollow and provided with openings whereby the oil from the crank case may be drawn through the piston stem and projected upon the cylinder during the upward movement of the piston, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed by name to this specification.

HARRY RALPH RICARDO. 

